We Will Always Have The Strength To Go On
by Shadow-TheLastHero
Summary: Seal was scarred as a kit when her two brothers and father were ruthlessly murdered right before her eyes. Her littermates for being half-breeds, her parent for defying the destruction of Half-Clans. Now she's returned with a desire for vengeance...
1. Prologue

**This is another contest for the Warriors Challenge Forum – the 'Strength To Go On – a contest' challenge.**

Prologue

Addertalon glared at the leader, watching as Yarrowstar slaughtered his two sons and daughter for their heritage and nothing else. What would Sleekotter think of this? The tom knew what she would think. And he knew the risk he took as he dashed to the center of the clearing, stopping Yarrowstar before she could kill his remaining child, his daughter Sealkit. The sleek gray she-kit was shivering in fear, fur fluffed up, blue eyes wide and darker gray speckles set plainly against her pelt in the chilly leaf-bare air. But Addertalon was focused on his leader whose sickly yellow eyes were wide in fear; gray, silver-streaked pelt stained red beneath Addertalon's overly long claws.

"Leave my daughter alone. Her birthright is not her own fault. And my emotions for Sleekotter are not my fault." Addertalon narrowed his dark amber eyes, baring his fang, rusty pelt on end around his shoulders and the back of his neck. His sister, Copperhead, took a tentative step foreword. He could see it in the corner of his eyes. But she made no effort to support her remaining family.

"Why do we kill half-breeds anyways? Is there any reason? Tell me!" Addertalon shook his leader violently as the crowd of his Clanmates just watched. If this is what even the noble ThunderClan had become… Then there was nothing left for him…

"You have to stop this madness!" he cried out, glancing around at his denmates, the apprentices he had befriended, the queens so careful of the tiny kits, the elders always with a story ready on their tongues.

But they did nothing. Not even when Yarrowstar's paw shot forewords and caught Addertalon on the throat. Almost instantly the warrior went rigid, making it far too easy for Yarrowstar to shrug him off. The gray-and-silver she-cat glared at the crowd and snarled, "Let this be a lesson for those who dare defy the warrior code!" She didn't care when Sealkit crept forewords, nudging her father's dying body. Addertalon saw his daughter and a pained smile split his maw, revealing the deadly set of fangs. His claws for which he had been named for were still unsheathed, the warrior too weak even to sheath them. But he managed to whisper, "Get out of here. You'll never survive among the Clans. At least, not the Clans we have become."

"But, daddy, I'm not strong enough!" Sealkit wailed, digging her nose into his rusty fur.

"Yes you are, my little one. You will… always have the… strength to go on…" Then his gaze grew dull and he drew in his last breath, rigid body going limp. Sealkit let a faint, choking cry wrench itself out of her throat before she turned around and ran. The cats didn't pay attention. All they noticed was their leader continuing her lecture about Addertalon's small rebellion. But, what she didn't know, was that the small spark that the tom had kindled would forever burn in these cats' memories and within his daughter, forever scarred in her crusade for freedom for half-breeds. And, as long as that spark lived on, the rebellion would always have the strength to go on…

**Hope you like this prologue. I think it turned out pretty well. :3**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Russetpaw shivered in the damp, unsanitary cave. His eyes drifted towards the sliver of sunlight, forbidden ground. If he even touched the blessed light, he would be slaughtered instantly. Better to last a few more days. Though he had seen many other kits, apprentices, and sometimes-even warriors sent in only to dash out a short while later, intentionally getting themselves killed.

The ginger tom got to his paws. They were no longer their handsome white, but had dulled to a musky brown due to endless trotting back and forth on the dusty floor. Each rib could be clearly seen on Russetpaw, but no cat cared. The only contact he had with other cats was when they threw the odd, maggot-infested, not-so-fresh-kill. That was why he was so surprised when a sleek, healthy figure crept into the cave.

At first Russetpaw shrunk away but then the cat said, "I'm one of you. I'm here to bust you out."

Russetpaw looked into the cat's ocean-blue eyes and saw hurt and fury in their depths. The ShadowClan apprentice suddenly remembered tales of the ThunderClan leader, Yarrowstar – well, the old ThunderClan leader, Yarrowstar – having to kill a loyal warrior over his kits. The three kits had been half-breeds but the tom had managed to save the she-cat.

"Yo-you're Sealkit, aren't you?"

Russetpaw was shocked with his own voice. It was rough, weak from lack of use. But he saw the blue eyes bob as if nodding in agreement and Russetpaw's savior whispered, "You have to be quick. Or else you'll be caught and killed."

Sealkit trotted to just out of sight of the sliver of light and then, as if as an after-thought, told Russetpaw, "Call me Seal. I don't have a Clan name anymore."

Then she bolted. Russetpaw instantly dashed after her. At first the ShadowClan cats just stared, but when they finally whirred into action, Russetpaw was surrounded by a group of apprentice- and young-warrior-aged cats that covered his back and had emerged from the camp entrance, Seal at the head. The cats were reluctant to face the fierce-looking crowd, especially due to the rustling trees just outside the camp that suggested wave after wave of these cats. So Russetpaw managed to get away. A few other cats joined the group but not many. Suddenly Russetpaw realized only a few cats had rustled the trees to create the impression of many more cats. But Russetpaw didn't care. He was free. Finally…

* * *

Seal eventually ended up leading Russetpaw alone. The other half-breeds had spread out to seek out other cats that needed help, and to determine which were more important to rescue. Such as ones that were assigned to be killed that day or not. The she-cat could sense Russetpaw's distrust, but he had to deal with her. Her and many other half-breeds. She didn't speak a word and, in turn, the ShadowClan apprentice didn't say anything. So she had plenty of time to think of other things. Such as if it was right to be doing what she was and if her father, Addertalon, would approve of what she was doing. But she did know. She knew, deep down, that he would support – is supporting – her with every fiber of his being. But what about Sleekotter, her RiverClan mother?

Seal had never met Sleekotter. It was rumored she had been killed as well for she herself being found out as a half-Clan cat, and Seal had a feeling in her gut they were true. So, what, she was part three Clans? Possibly four, depending on her lineage and, if she was that 'lucky' five? How much blood did she have? She was part ThunderClan and RiverClan; she knew that. Her strong build matched with the sleek pelt made that bit obvious. Her mother had been also… half WindClan, right? That's what the rumors said. Seal sighed, "I'm the epitome of half-Clan…" Was her father ShadowClan or something? She remembered with a pang the answer was yes. Her father's small, dark form along with the common ThunderClan strength had been confused as just a small ThunderClan cat, but Seal had seen enough Thunder-ShadowClan cats to know that she was a quarter each of the Clans. And what about SkyClan? She, honestly, had never tested the prospect. It was bad enough to be the daughter of half-Clan cats, but… SkyClan? The cats sought out SkyClan cats and reserved those for Gatherings to pick off. Then again… She never knew. A groan built up in her throat. She had gone over this several times. She could swim like a RiverClan cat, stalk like ShadowClan, fight like the Clan of Thunder, and run like a WindClan warrior. Could she jump like the ancient SkyClan? She doubted that. Not even StarClan would accept a cat like that. They would send lightning probably to zap her any moment if she was part all five Clans.

ThunderClan scent pervaded the air, but initially she wasn't surprised. They had to pass through ThunderClan territory anyways to get to the half-Clan cats' camp. Then she remembered that there usually weren't cats around here. She froze, flicking her tail for Russetpaw to do the same. Her mind was whirling at supersonic speeds as she thought of an explanation. They could just be hunting. Or she could've gotten so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't realized they were at the scent markers already. But the stench was too strong, as if…

"Run!" Seal screeched moments before the ThunderClan cats jumped from the bushes. The speckled she-cat bolted, Russetpaw right on her heels. Seal thought, _Must be half WindClan,_ before having to duck under another cat. She had only taste a touch of the scent and she instantly knew what was going on. That cat was ShadowClan. Now that she was paying more attention, all four of the Clans' scent was drifting around Russetpaw and Seal. All four Clans had teamed up to capture the infamous Seal and to end her rebellion once and for all. Seal's eyes were wide as she ducked under and managed to squeeze through and past several cats, getting by only with a whisker's space. Russetpaw had gotten ahead of Seal since the tom was half WindClan while Seal was only a quarter. Then, with a screech, a cat finally reached her. Managed to hit her with its claws. Pinned her down. Instantly Seal struggled in its grasp, hind claws scratching blindly at its underbelly. But it was no use. Russetpaw stopped and was about to turn around but Seal screeched, "Get out of here!" The tom hesitated a moment longer but a group of ShadowClan cats starting after him sent him bolting again. It only took a while before he disappeared on the horizon. Seal glared into the amber eyes of her captor, a snarl edging its way through gritted teeth. She knew this cat. This cat had been one to watch as her father had been slaughtered.

"Copperstar. How nice to see you again…"


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"My beloved niece," the golden-rusty-furred she-cat spat, digging her claws into Seal's shoulders. "I remember the day you were just the size of a mouse. Why weren't you killed then?" The ThunderClan leader acted as though deep in though for a moment before snarling, "That's right. My weak brother stepped in and 'rescued' you."

Seal bared her teeth at Copperstar and snapped, "My father – your brother – was not and is not weak!"

Copperstar just laughed at the younger she-cat beneath her claws and, with a well-aimed swipe of her paw, left a deep set of claw marks on Seal's muzzle. The she-cat barely held in a yelp of pain, gritting her teeth and squeezing her eyes closed. Then she growled, "So, are you going to kill me now?"

"What do you think, you little brat!" was Copperstar's only reply. The other Clan cats had since surrounded the two, creating an unbreakable, living wall, so when Copperstar got off of Seal had no option but to follow the lead she set. She knew where she was going. She had seen cats come from the same place when she spied on the Clans. She wasn't going to any Clan camp. No, she was headed straight towards the heart of these half-blood-destroying monsters.

She was headed straight to the Gathering Island.

* * *

Russetpaw watched as Seal was lead towards the fallen tree. All he could see was a multi-colored blotch. Then he returned his attention to the terrain in front of him, uneven and dotted with rabbit holes. But the tom was naturally accustomed with this landscape due to his bloodline. Half ShadowClan and half WindClan. He had lost the ShadowClan cats long ago, but he didn't stop running until he had no other option. He didn't know where the half-Clan camp was, but the strong scent that was a seamless blur of all four scents showed he was close. He traced the scent to a gaping hole in the ground. He ducked into the hole, dashing down it and, when he emerged, he was panting hard and, almost instantly, a group of cats surrounded him.

Russetpaw had to blink his eyes against the harsh sunlight filtering into the hollow – the hole had lead to a hidden camp only accessible through that tunnel instead of an underground cavern. The cats surrounding him asked, "What Clan are you!" and "How did you find us?" and "Are there others?" But then one cat stepped forewords. Russetpaw didn't recognize this cat but realized this cat recognized him when it said, "We just rescued him. He's half ShadowClan, half Wind."

"Really, Blurry?"

"Well he's second-in-command. He should know which cats are which. Seal tells him everything."

The black tom looked Russetpaw up and down, ice-blue eyes narrowed. Then he asked, "Seal was supposed to return with you. Where is she?"

Russetpaw hesitated a moment, shocked by the severity of Blurry's tone. He gulped nervously and said, "The Clans captured her…"

"What!" A dark gray she-cat pushed forewords, stopping beside Blurry.

"It's okay, Sleet. We'll rescue her. We always have rescued others."

"But… she's Seal. They'll make extra-sure she doesn't get away. She's part all four Clans at least and she's been leading the rebellion since kittenhood when she rescued us."

The dark gray she-cat had big, dark blue eyes, like the opposite of Blurry's. Her tail and flanks were striped with black fur and her forehead and shoulders had similar markings. Russetpaw took another step back but before he could melt into the background as he had all his life to hide his lineage, Blurry glared at him and demanded, "Which Clan captured her?"

"It was a collaboration of all four," Russetpaw replied, adding, "and the cat that captured her was this rusty-golden-colored she-cat."

Blurry and Sleet shared a nervous glance and whispered, "Copperstar…" Several other cats began to mutter amongst one another.

Russetpaw, tired of technically being ignored asked Blurry, "Where am I?"

The tom looked back at Russetpaw and said, "You are in the heart of the rebellion. And you, my Shadow-WindClan friend, are Russetpaw, if I'm not mistaken?"

The ginger-pelted tom was taken aback by Blurry's accurate guess. The black tom laughed, "That wasn't a guess. Seal's been watching you for a while and has told me all she's learned about you to me."

Russetpaw just glanced down at his paws. He saw, from the corner of his eyes, Blurry rise to his feet and trot towards the edge of the camp. The scuffle of claws and the rustling of paws got Russetpaw's attention along with the call of, "All cats with open minds and hearts, gather here for a meeting."

The call was similar, vaguely, to the one in the Clans, though different, and, in Russetpaw's opinion, fitting for the ragtag group of half-Clan cats. He slowly joined the other cats gathering around Blurry's raised position.

"As many of you may know, Sleet and I's half-sister, as well as the leader of this rebellion, Seal, has been captured by the four Clans working together."

Half of Blurry's first announcement was drowned out, from the word 'Seal' onward. He rose his voice, calling, "Several cats will be sneaking into the Gathering to assist in her rescue!" then he waited for the clamor to ease down. He added, "On a lighter note, we have a new member. Everyone, this is Russetpaw. Rescued from ShadowClan, half WindClan."

Several cats cheered, "Russetpaw! Russetpaw!" before Blurry continued.

"Seal may have been captured, but she has helped our cause nonetheless with our newest member. From now on, you shall be known as Russet, until either the day the discrimination of half-Clan cats is over or the day you die."

Now the cats, and every one of the cats this time, cheered his name. "Russet! Russet! Russet!"

But the tom didn't pay any attention. He muted the cries from his hearing. All he could see was Seal, pinned down by the rusty-golden she-cat. All he could hear was Seal telling him to run. And, silently, he vowed he would save her, no matter what the costs.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Seal gnawed on the criss-crossed twigs blocking her escape. Having gained inspiration from the shiny metal fences Twolegs used, the cats had blocked the entrance to the cave Seal was in. She had nothing more to bide her time with than chew on the twigs and act as though she was staring stupidly into space when the guards passed by the opening. So far, the dumb Clan cats thought she had gone insane. They constantly taunted her. She hated it, but she had to go along with it. They never suspected her attempts to get out.

She had tried digging, but she quickly met nothing but bedrock no matter which way she dug. It confused her how the cats had found such a well-sealed-off cave, but she guessed it must've been hard and that they might have added some of the bedrock themselves. She had attempted to shove the barrier down, but each stick was thick and sturdy and deeply ground into the dirt. Every time a cat trod over the cave a shower of dirt coated Seal's once-pretty fur. That night was the Gathering. It had only been a few days in the cave, but they treated her so poorly it would be a blessing to kill her. She was looking forewords to the Gathering, actually. She would have one last thing to say before she was killed, probably in a cruel, torturous way. That the rebellion, no matter what happened, would always have the strength to go on. And they'd have to face generations of retaliation and the half-Clan cats would never die out.

For the first time in her young life – for Seal was, in fact, very young, and would've just been made a warrior that night probably if she had been pure-blooded or had lived in a different era – she realized the irony of the Clans' situation. When half-Clan cats had been declared to be killed, more half-Clan cats had been born, as though the cats enjoyed the bloodshed. And she realized, with a feeling of pity, it was true. How each cat watched with bloodlust and glee in their eyes as their own Clanmates were slaughtered right before them. They purposefully had half-Clan kits to feed that bloodlust and to fuel that glee. Well, they'd get some splattered blood all right. She wouldn't go down alone, and she'd take down some pure-bloods with her.

Seal took a half step backwards as a cat approached the entrance to the cave. She stared dumbly at the sliver of sky she could see, only for it to be blocked a moment later by a thickset figure. Seal weakly complained, "You're blocking the pretty sunset." The cat just laughed. Seal could recognize that laugh anywhere. It belonged to the one cat not fooled by her ruse. She managed to jump to her paws before a paw shot in and, digging painfully into her shoulder, dragged her towards the barrier. Seal couldn't hold in the cry of pain as Copperstar tore ruthlessly into her shoulder with that tight grip.

"You know what today is, right, my dear niece?"

"Ya, today's the day I'm going to kill you!" she cried, lunging forewords and fishing her own paw through a gap. But before she could so much as touch the leader she swiped one of her forepaws and, holding Seal's foreleg in an uncomfortable position, pinned down her forepaw, earning her another cry of pain from the silver-and-dark-gray she-cat.

"Such a pity. Resorting to a cheap move to try and murder a leader. Do you think that'll help your case?"

Seal snarled, "You're half-Clan too!" She had never though of it before, but as she said it, she realized it was true. Her father was half-Clan, and Copperstar was his…

"Half-brother," she retorted. "Your pitiful father was my half-brother. I'm pure-blooded ThunderClan." Copperstar dug her claws in deeper and now Seal just opened her mouth in a silent scream.

"What do you mean… half-brother?" she asked, glaring at the ThunderClan leader.

"We share the same mother, but our fathers are different. One from ShadowClan, the other from ThunderClan. Your dumb father was lucky he was never found out."

This time Seal didn't reply. Just glanced into the dark cave, wishing she had been more vigilant. After a while of Seal's silence, Copperstar muttered something then growled, "Hope you enjoy your last few moments, you mixed-Clan cat. If only you knew exactly why you were so important to kill, and not because of your cute little rebellion…"

* * *

Russet followed Blurry and Sleet along with several other cats that he knew enough of to not attack at the Gathering. The group silently crept over the log and into the surrounding brush. The mixed scent of the four Clans was so strong their own scent was covered. Russet could see Copperstar trot away from a low indent in the ground. He could see what looked like interwoven sticks covering an opening and assumed Seal was in there. He let his claws unsheathe and he impatiently kneaded the ground. A tawny she-cat beside him asked, "Excited for the fight?"

Russet just shrugged his shoulders in a noncommittal way. Just then Sleet appeared beside him and asked, "You worried about Seal?"

For a moment the tom didn't reply, then slowly said, "If I had turned back to help her…"

"You would've been captured as well, except they wouldn't have saved you for the Gathering. They would have killed you then and there."

Russet was shocked with Sleet's blunt analysis of what would've happened and he realized she was right. He would've done nothing to help at all, just deprive the rebellion of one more cat when they needed every one to keep up what they were doing.

"Seal knows what she's doing," Sleet added in a gentler tone. "Even if she dies, she'll not give up without a fight. You can be sure of that."

Russet nodded his head absent-mindedly as he watched Copperstar once more get up. All the cats instantly looked up at her and tracked her as she jumped down and went to the indent again. He saw her tear the twigs away, though he didn't have a good enough view to see how she did it. Then she disappeared into the cave. The clearing had taken on a foreboding silence as they waited for the inevitable…


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Seal snaked her foreleg back into the cave and gingerly licked her shoulder, cringing as her rough tongue brushed over the tender flesh. What did Copperstar mean by 'why you were so important to kill'? She didn't think it was because she had blood of all four Clans around the lake. So, then… Was she actually SkyClan? She tried to think back to stories of her grandparents, heading into the darkest corner of the den. Her grandfather, on her dad's side, had been ShadowClan, while Addertalon's mother had been ThunderClan… Sleekotter… Well, her mother was the RiverClan blood, while her father… Was half Wind, half Sky. She remembered it suddenly. He had been the first cat to be killed at a Gathering, beginning the reservation of SkyClan descendants for Gatherings. Sleekotter's mother hadn't cared that any kits would be triple-Clan-cats. Seal laid her head on the ground, paws placed over her head. She heard a cat appear at the cave entrance and the groaning of the twigs as it was removed. How? She didn't know. She knew the time had come.

Copperstar appeared right in front of Seal but she didn't even look up. "Did you finally figure it out? You have blood from every last Clan, including that stupid SkyClan. The Clans have never seen this before. A cat that could claim traits and blood from any Clan they wish." Copperstar was about to shove Seal towards the entrance as she finished her taunting, but was instead met with a flurry of claws. For a moment the leader was shocked and the tip of her ear was shredded off, then she charged at Seal and placed a paw on the younger she-cat's throat. Seal gasped for air as the leader slowly crushed her windpipe. After a moment Copperstar released the pressure and Seal managed to take in a deep breath of air before a heavy paw came crashing down on her head, sending her world quickly spinning away into blackness.

* * *

Russet watched the entrance of the cave carefully. After a while, Copperstar's tail emerged from the indent, then the rest of her sturdy figure. He just barely suppressed a gasp when he saw Seal's limp body in her teeth. At first he thought she was already dead. Then he realized that would take away the fun of the death, and he also noted the faint rise and fall of Seal's chest with each breath. She was still alive…

Copperstar cried out, "Behold! Leader of the half-Clan rebellion, finally captured! A cat with blood of every Clan in our clutches!" She let the words hang in the air for a moment before adding, in a lower tone, "Including that pitiful SkyClan."

Gasps of shock echoed around the clearing, including a few from the rebellion cats. But their sounds blended in with the pureblood cats' gasps so it went unnoticed. This proved to be quite a show. Just a short distance in front of Russet a pair of ShadowClan cats talked with one another. One had been his mentor, the other his mother.

"Is it true? She even carries blood of SkyClan?" His former mentor.

"It must be if Copperstar claims it so. She's her aunt, at least, I think that's it…" muttered his mother.

His mentor corrected, "No, she was only the brat's father's half-sister."

"Oh, but still, that means she can run like WindClan."

"And swim like one of those RiverClan fish-faces."

"And she should have the fighting ability of the average ThunderClan cat."

"And she'd be as silent as one of us in the darkness, short of that ridiculous pelt color."

"And then jumping like SkyClan? She's too dangerous to keep alive." Russet's mother glanced back up at Seal. The multi-Clan she-cat had begun to stir, slowly coming back to awareness.

* * *

Colors and light once again poured into Seal's vision. She groggily rose to her paws. The clearing was silent, a good thing in Seal's opinion. Her head was throbbing. She could just faintly scent the rebellion cats. She had expected them to come. Her tail flicked over her paws and the tip curled ever so slightly. To the average cat it was just a weird habit, but to Sleet and Blurry it meant she knew they were there.

Seal glanced up at the leaders. Now she knew why the clearing was silent. Copperstar was talking about how she deserved to be killed, for 'befouling the blood of all five Clans and revolting against ancient traditions.'

Seal was tempted to charge up to the leaders and tear Copperstar to pieces, but it wouldn't help. Just make her case even worse. She heard Copperstar finish her little speech and carefully, agonizingly slowly, stalked down the tree to level ground. Seal acted as though she didn't notice, in awe of the Fourtrees. But Copperstar knew it was a trick.

"Die, traitor!" she screeched before jumping straight at Seal's throat. But, suddenly, it wasn't there. Instead she met with Seal on her back, shoving the ThunderClan leader away with all four paws. Seal quickly scrambled back to her paws and yowled, "Attack!"

Half-Clan cats poured into the clearing, fighting former Clanmates and kin. She saw Sleet and Blurry fighting side-by-side against their father and Russet was assisting a dark-furred tabby she-cat against the RiverClan deputy. Several other battles were going on, but she had to have made sure those three were okay. She hadn't wanted her capture to go to waste by Russet being captured by ShadowClan, and if her half-brother and half-sister hadn't been here she didn't think she'd fight properly.

But that was all she bothered checking. Now she charged towards Copperstar who was standing where the deputies usually did. Seal charged at the she-cat, who was busy clawing another half-Clan cat, and latched onto her back, hind claws tearing ruthlessly into her spine. Then Seal tore her fangs into Copperstar's throat, causing the leader to fall limp. Seal got off of the ThunderClan leader and told the half-Clan cat, "Get out of here. Go back to camp and send a second wave. That might end the fighting faster." The cat nodded its head then limped off as fast a possible, diving into the lake and swimming onto the shore, as the log was crowded with pureblooded cats blocking half-Clan escape.

Seal watched her run in the direction of the rebellion camp before a heavy weight slammed her to the ground, sending stars bursting across her vision. She smelled Copperstar and managed to snarl, "I thought I killed you!"

The ThunderClan leader just retorted, "I have one more life, my dear. That was only my eighth!"

Seal couldn't believe she had been so stupid! She had forgotten the fact the leader had another life left. She braced herself for certain death, but, just as suddenly it had appeared, the weight lifted off her back. She lifted her gaze and, just in front of her, was the spirits of Sleekotter and Addertalon. The pair screeched, "You will not kill our daughter!" pounding Copperstar with heavy swipes and sharp bites until the grass beneath the ThunderClan leader was painted bright scarlet with her blood.

Seal dashed to her parents' side, joining their attack on Copperstar. Eventually Sleekotter managed to pin down the ThunderClan leader, but then she disappeared. Addertalon stared in shock, and then, with a glance at Seal, he said, "We've run out of time in the living world!" before he, too, disappeared.

Now it was once again just Seal and Copperstar. Before the golden-rusty she-cat could gain her paws, Seal pinned her in Sleekotter's stead and dug her claws deep into the leader's shoulders. Her mind, for a moment, saw Yarrowstar instead of Copperstar. She growled, "My father said I'd always have the strength to go on. And I do. I'll kill you here and now, before the other Clans, to end this madness!"

Seal lunged forewords and sunk her teeth into Copperstar's throat. But, a moment before fang met flesh, Copperstar shot a paw out and tore open Seal's throat as well. But the she-cat didn't grow rigid as her father had. Her teeth instead clamped down harder as Copperstar's pelt was stained with a mixture of her own blood and Seal's blood. Copperstar died only a few heartbeats before Seal's eyes rolled into the back of her skull and she, herself, slumped to the ground, lifeblood leaking through the deadly wound on her neck.


	6. Epilogue

Epilogue

A ginger tom paced anxiously before the nursery, claws unsheathed and shredding the ground beneath his paws. What was taking so long? Were her injuries acting up again? Unable to take the suspense any longer, he ducked into the nursery, nearly running into the tortoiseshell coming out. The she-cat whispered, "They are here," before slipping back inside. The tom quietly followed and gasped in relief as he saw the sleek, dark gray spotted she-cat, three tiny kits curled in the crook of her belly.

The silvery-furred she-cat glanced up at the white-pawed tom and smiled in happiness. "Meet Birdkit, Mousekit, and Squirrelkit."

Birdkit, the smallest, looked like a tiny replica of her mother, while Squirrelkit looked like her father. Mousekit, on the other hand, had a much more haunting similarity.

"She looks just like Copperstar, doesn't she?"

The tom was shocked at his mate's analysis then said, "You're right."

The queen looked into her mate's eyes then asked, "Russetclaw, what's the matter?"

For a moment the tom hesitated then said, "Nothing, Sealstar… Nothing at all…"

The queen just laughed, "I thought I told you to call me Seal, Russet!"

* * *

"…And then she lunged forewords, teeth tearing deep into the fearful leader's throat. The leader, though, managed to deal a deathblow of her own. We all thought the infamous leader of the rebellion had finally lost when we finally won, but, by the biggest stroke of luck, the four medicine cats managed to seal the wound long enough to bring her to the RiverClan camp and heal her wounds. It took several moons, but eventually, the rebellion's leader had been brought back from the dead. And the first thing she did was restore order to the four Clans, end the destruction of half- and multi-Clan cats, and take up the reigns of ThunderClan, left without a leader and deputy, since both had been killed in the recent battle and a proper replacement had yet to be found."

The three apprentices waited for more of the story from their mother, and then realized it was over. The youngest, a she-cat just like the one that had told the story, asked, "Who was the leader of the rebellion?"

For a moment their mother hesitated. Then she leaned forewords and whispered, "You have to keep this a secret, okay?"

The three she-cats nodded their heads then their eyes widened as the queen told them, "I was the leader of the rebellion."

The oldest, a ginger one with white paws, asked, "You were?"

Their mother, Sealstar, nodded her head then added, "It was all because of my father. He… he had died saving me from Yarrowstar, one of the old ThunderClan leaders… He told me to run, but I thought I would never get very far. Then he told me I'd always have the strength to go on. It was my only memory of him, besides at the Gathering that night."

The three kits sighed, "We'll never be as big and strong as you, mom. You're awesome!"

The she-cat just laughed, "Yes you will. You can and will."

"But how?" the three asked. The middle one, a golden-rusty she-cat, stepped forewords and said, "How can we ever hope to live up to your legacy?"

Sealstar's only answer was, "Just remember what my father told me, Birdpaw, Mousepaw, and Squirrelpaw."

"What?" The three all took another step closer as their mother bent forewords to whisper something to them.

"You will always have the strength to go on…"


End file.
